Ratchet buckle

ABSTRACT

In the present invention, a lightweight apparatus for secure transport of cargo in cargo compartments, such as those found in trucks and freight trains, is provided. The ratchet buckle has a front reel which receives a cargo strap. The light weight of the ratchet buckle is achieved by the use of a dual purpose detachable ratcheting lever or wrench. The wrench has a wrench head which engages the front reel to tighten the ratchet buckle. The wrench also has a release end which engages a release hole in the ratchet buckle, to disengage the ratcheting mechanism and allow removal of the cargo strap. Additional purposes and advantages are provided herein.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a non-provisional claiming priority from pending provisional application Ser. No. 61/151,495 filed Feb. 10, 2009, the specification of which is incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a ratchet buckle that can be used to tighten straps for securing cargo and, more particularly, to a lightweight ratchet device and detachable operating lever or wrench.

BACKGROUND

In general, ratchet mechanisms for cargo storage and other general uses, having ratchet drive wheels and spring loaded ratchet drive plate mechanisms are well known. Such ratchet buckles are commonly used to assist in securing cargo straps for transport or storage of cargo. Ratchet buckles generally consist of a ratcheting mechanism and a mechanism for receiving, securing and tightening a strap to be used for securing cargo. To operate such a buckle a cargo strap is coupled to the buckle and tightened using the ratcheting feature. Current ratchet buckles contain many heavy metallic parts which lead to high weight and bulk.

The following exemplary ratchet buckles are illustrative of the state of the art: a first prior art device, the “Cargo Ratchet” depicted in FIG. 10; a second prior art device, depicted in FIG. 11 and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,651, and a third prior art device, depicted in FIG. 12 and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,652.

The prior art Cargo Ratchet depicted in FIG. 10 employs a permanently affixed handle for ratcheting the ratchet drive. This prior art Cargo Ratchet generally comprises a ratchet buckle frame and a permanently affixed handle. The ratchet buckle frame has front and rear reels and a spring-loaded ratchet drive plate, the front reel having toothed wheels. The permanently affixed handle comprises a large handle frame, a cross-beam fixed transversely into the handle frame, and a ratcheting plate with release handle. The handle is rotatably attached to the front reel to facilitate driving the ratchet wheels.

The prior art Cargo Ratchet shown in FIG. 10, suffers the disadvantages of high weight and space consumption. The permanently affixed handle provides a ratcheting function but is very bulky due to the inclusion of the large frame parts, cross-bars, and ratchet drive/release plate. Further, release of an installed strap requires that the handle be opened fully so that the drive/release plate is disengaged from the ratchet wheels, thereby increasing the length of the device by twofold during this procedure, which may make the Cargo Ratchet more difficult to use in tight spaces.

The prior art ratchet buckle shown in FIG. 11 and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,651 has a similar structure to the FIG. 10 buckle, but has a smaller handle frame. To assist with the ratcheting action, the FIG. 11 ratchet buckle uses a removable lever or wrench which can be inserted into a receiving slot in the handle frame and subsequently fixed into place with a pin. As the removable lever still requires a handle frame with large bulky parts, this FIG. 11 buckle still suffers from the problem of high weight and space consumed as discussed in relation to FIG. 10. Additionally, the lever must be secured into place with a pin, thereby increasing the amount of time required for operation.

The prior art cargo buckle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,652 and shown in FIG. 12 has a ratchet buckle and removable lever for ratcheting the buckle. This device is meant to be used in conjunction with a fixed strap securing plate as shown. This use requires that the strap traverse the entire length of the ratchet buckle, as it is fed and tightened at opposite ends. Due to this fact, the ratcheting wrench cannot be used as a lever to remove the strap in a simple fashion.

Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a lightweight ratchet buckle which can be easily operated and from which a strap can easily be disengaged.

It is a further object to provide a ratchet buckle which consumes low space.

It is a further object to provide a ratchet buckle which has minimized shipping and production costs.

SUMMARY

In the present invention, these purposes, as well as other which will become apparent, are achieved generally by providing a lightweight apparatus and related method for transport in cargo compartments, such as trucks and freight trains. The light weight of the ratchet buckle is achieved by the use of a dual purpose detachable ratcheting lever or wrench. The lever has the capacity to ratchet the ratchet buckle, thereby tightening a strap, and further has the capacity to disengage the ratchet buckle to allow for unfastening of the strap. The lever is fully detachable from the ratchet buckle, resulting in a lightweight ratchet buckle device and reduced space consumption and expenses on packaging and shipping costs.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ratchet buckle and wrench combination generally comprises a frame having a top side and a bottom side, left and right opposing sidewalls and a front end, each of said left and right opposing sidewalls defining a ratchet drive plate slit; a front reel disposed at the front end; a ratchet drive plate having a front side, a rear side, and a right edge, wherein said ratchet drive plate is disposed through said slits in said left and right opposing sidewalls; left and right ratchet wheels disposed on said front reel, said left and right wheels engaged with said ratchet drive plate, and said right wheel having a right face; a ratchet wrench comprising: a shaft with a wrenching end and a release end, a length and a width; a grasping head at said wrenching end; a release protrusion at said release end; and a spring loaded member extending from and perpendicular to the shaft, wherein said spring loaded member is located at the wrenching end and is adjacent to the grasping head; wherein said right edge of said ratchet drive plate is substantially aligned with the right face of the right wheel, thereby providing a flush surface to allow engagement by a wrench.

Further, a method of operating the cargo buckle is provided comprising providing a securing strap; providing a ratchet buckle and wrench combination comprising: a frame having left and right opposing sidewalls and having a front end, each of said left and right opposing sidewalls defining a ratchet drive plate slit; a front reel disposed at the front end, said front reel having an annular depression; a ratchet drive plate having a right edge, wherein said ratchet drive plate is disposed through said slits in said left and right opposing sidewalls; left and right ratchet wheels disposed on said front reel, said left and right wheels engaged with said ratchet drive plate, and said right wheel having a right face; a shaft with a wrenching end and a release end, a length and a width; a grasping head at said wrenching end; a release protrusion at said release end; and a spring loaded member extending from and perpendicular to the shaft, wherein said spring loaded member is located at the wrenching end and is adjacent to the grasping head; wherein said right edge of said ratchet drive plate is substantially aligned with the right face of the right wheel, thereby providing a flush surface to allow engagement by a wrench; sliding the strap through said slit in said front reel; engaging said wrench with said annular depression such that said spring loaded member engages a tooth on one of the ratchet wheels; driving said wrench to rotate said front wheel, thereby drawing the strap towards the buckle.

Advantage is thereby provided by the ability to operate the buckle without a heavy ratchet frame handle body, and in the provision of a multi-function wrench which can quickly and easily tighten and release a cargo buckle strap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent when the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention are considered in conjunction with the drawings which should be construed in an illustrative and not limiting sense as follows:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the ratchet buckle.

FIG. 2 is a bottom-side view of the preferred embodiment of the ratchet buckle.

FIG. 3 depicts the left and right ratchet wheels and the fasteners used to retain them to the buckle frame.

FIG. 4 is a top down view of the wrench of a preferred embodiment of the ratchet buckle.

FIG. 5 is a close-up view of the head section of the lever portion of a preferred embodiment of the ratchet buckle.

FIG. 6A-6B shows the first step of a first embodiment of a method of tightening a strap with a cargo buckle, the first step being inserting a strap into a cargo buckle.

FIG. 6C shows the second step of a first embodiment of a method of tightening a strap with a cargo buckle, the second step being engaging a wrench with the front reel of the cargo buckle.

FIG. 6D-6E show the third step of a first embodiment of a method of tightening a strap with a cargo buckle, the third step being rotating the lever to ratchet the ratchet wheels of the cargo buckle, thereby tightening the cargo buckle.

FIG. 7A shows the first step of a first embodiment of a method of removing a strap from a cargo buckle, the first step being inserting a conical end of a wrench between a front reel and a drive plate and into a wrench engagement hole.

FIG. 7B shows the second step of a first embodiment of a method of removing a strap from a cargo buckle, the second step being levering a wrench to disengage a ratchet drive plate from ratchet wheels.

FIG. 7C-7D show the third step of a first embodiment of a method of removing a strap from a cargo buckle, the third step being removing the cargo strap from the buckle while the ratchet drive plate is disengaged from the ratchet wheels.

FIG. 8 9 is a flow chart illustrating a preferred embodiment of a method of inserting and fastening a strap into the cargo buckle device.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a preferred embodiment of a method of removing a strap from a cargo buckle device.

FIG. 10 shows a first prior art cargo buckle device exhibiting a large ratcheting handle.

FIG. 11 shows a second prior art cargo buckle device exhibiting a large ratcheting handle.

FIG. 12 shows a third prior art cargo buckle device.

FIG. 13 shows a prior art shipping assembly in comparison with the shipping assembly facilitated by the ratchet buckle of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a close-up view of the shipping assembly used to ship the ratchet buckle which is the subject of the present invention.

FIG. 15 shows an alternative ratchet drive plate spring mechanism.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative wrench head showing the wrench head in an open position.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative wrench head showing the wrench head in a locked position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This disclosure is directed to a Ratchet Buckle that can be used in various locations such as trucks, trailers, airplanes and trains, to secure cargo during transport or during other situations that may disrupt cargo in storage. To utilize such a ratchet buckle, a strap for securing cargo is coupled to the ratchet buckle, and the buckle is ratcheted, such that the strap is tightened over cargo.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, showing a preferred embodiment of a Ratchet Buckle 10. The Ratchet Buckle 10 generally comprises a frame 11 with spaced rear and front reel bars 12, 14 that extend between opposing left and right side walls 17 and 21 of the frame 11 for supporting tensioning cargo straps (not pictured). Preferably, the left and right side-walls 17 and 21 are approximately 5.5″, in length approximately one inch in height, and approximately ⅛″ in thickness. The front reel 14 is preferably approximately 3.5″ in length and approximately 1″ in diameter while the rear reel 12 is preferably approximately 3″ in length and ½″ in diameter. Further, frame 11 has a front end 13 and a rear end 25. The rear reel 12 preferably comprises a bolt slid through two circular holes in the rear of the frame 11, and fastened with a nut. The frame is preferably made from a metal material, such as steel.

The front end 13 of each side wall 17 and 21 preferably expands out to an approximately flat circular portion 40 with an approximate diameter of 2″. The circular portions 40 of the side-walls 17 and 21 each preferably define a circular slot 33 for insertion of a cylindrical front reel 14. The top edge 35 of each side wall 17 and 21 is preferably approximately flat, except for the circular portion 40 at the front ends 25. The side-walls 17 and 21 and a cross-plate 19 are preferably stamped out of a single piece of material, and bent to form the two side-walls 17 and 21 of the frame 11 and cross-plate 19 at the bottom of the frame 11. The result, as can be seen in FIG. 2 is that the bottom side 41 of each side wall 17 and 21 is approximately flat, though having contours corresponding to the presence of the cross plate 19. The cross-plate 19 will be discussed in more detail below, with reference to FIG. 2.

A slot 15 in front reel 14 is provided to receive a tensioning strap. Preferably, the front reel 14 is composed of two spaced, semi-cylindrical bars 28, the space defining a slot 15. The slot 15 is preferably approximately ¼″ in width. Other strap attachment mechanisms may be used.

Preferably, left and right ratchet wheels 23, 26 are disposed on the outside surfaces of the left and right side-walls 17, 21. The two semi-cylindrical portions 28 of the front reel 14 are disposed through semi-circular holes or slits 30 in the left and right ratchet wheels 23, 26, and through the circular holes 33 in the left and right side-walls 17, 21.

The ratchet drive wheels 23, 26 have ratchet teeth 27 which allow for ratcheting of the front reel 14. The teeth 27 are preferably rounded on one end and straight-edged on the other such that a ratcheting tool like a wrench 60 may engage the straight-edged end and pass over the rounded end. There are preferably eleven teeth 27 on each wheel 23, 26 although more or less may be used. The teeth 27 preferably have a height of approximately ¼″. A wrench engagement notch or annular depression 16 is cut out of the front reel 14. Preferably, this notch 16 is on the right side of the front reel 14 but the notch 16 may be anywhere along the reel 14 that allows attachment by a wrench 60. Additionally, the notch 16 is preferably approximately ⅜″ in length and approximately ⅛″ in depth.

Now referring to FIG. 3, the two semi-cylindrical portions or bars 28 of the front reel 14 are fastened together with reel retainer fasteners 29, 31. The semi-cylindrical bars 28 preferably have reel retainer fastener holes at both left and right ends, extending radially through the bars such that fasteners 29, 31 may be inserted through those holes. On one side, a fastener 29 may connect the two bars by being inserted through the radial holes and then having each end bent over the cylindrical surface of the bar, thereby preventing removal of the fastener from the bar. This fastener 29 must therefore be a long, non-threaded fastener 29.

As the front reel 14 preferably has an annular notch 16 at the right end, the fastener 31 that passes through the annular notch 16 must allow attachment by a wrench 60. Since the front reel 14 extends past the right ratchet wheel 26, the fastener 31 must be short enough that it does not extend past the cylindrical surface of the notch. As the ends cannot be bent around the reel like with fastener 29, a mechanism must be used to ensure that the fastener does not slip out of the radial holes. One preferred mechanism is to thread the fastener 31 and the holes. Other mechanisms that retain the fastener in place while allowing attachment by a wrench may be used as well. The fasteners 29, 31 are preferably approximately 3/16″ in diameter.

A ratchet drive plate is disposed roughly in the center of the ratchet buckle frame 11. The ratchet drive plate 18 is preferably formed from a separate piece of material than the rest of the frame 11 and is preferably approximately ⅛″ in thickness. The ratchet drive plate 18 comprises a central portion 42 and a left and right wheel engagement member 20, 22. The central portion has a front edge 44 and a rear edge 46. The front edge 44 is preferably approximately straight. Preferably the center of the front edge 44 has an indent 48 such that it can receive the release end 61 of a wrench 60. The indent 48 is preferably round and approximately ½″ in length. The rear edge 46 of the central portion 42 of the ratchet drive plate 18 is preferably shaped as follows. The portion of the rear edge 46 nearest the side-walls 23, 26 of the frame 11, is substantially parallel to the front and rear reels 14, 12. Following the rear edge 46 towards the center of the ratchet drive plate 18, the edge angles forward (towards the front reel 12). From the center of the rear edge 46 projects a thin spring attachment member 34 which preferably has a rounded end. The spring attachment member 34 is preferably approximately ¾″ in length and approximately ⅜″ in width.

Alternatively, as shown in an alternate embodiment of a ratchet buckle 100 in FIG. 15, a spring 102 may be affixed to the ratchet drive plate. The free end 104 of the spring 102 may be inserted into a small hole 106 in an alternate spring retention nub 108 extending from the cross-plate 19. This alternate spring 102 biases the ratchet drive plate towards the front reel such that the wheel engagement members 20, 22 come into contact with the teeth 27 of the wheels 23, 26.

The ratchet drive plate 18 preferably has left and right wheel engagement members 20 and 22 which are disposed through slits 38 and 39 in the frame 11 and which serve to ratchetably engage the teeth 27 of the ratchet drive wheels 23 and 26. The slits 38 and 39 are preferably approximately 1.5″ in length and approximately 3/16″ in height.

Preferably, the left and right engagement members 20 and 22 extend from the left and right sides of the central portion of the ratchet drive plate, respectively. In a first preferred embodiment, the left engagement member 20 is wider than the right engagement member 22, and is approximately ½″ in width and approximately 1″ in length. The right engagement member 22 is preferably approximately ⅜″ in width and 1″ in length. Preferably, the right engagement member 22 is narrow enough such that its right end is substantially aligned with the right face of the right wheel 26, thereby forming a substantially flush surface or even edge with the right ratchet drive wheel 26.

It should be appreciated that, as described below, this flush surface configuration allows a wrench 60 to drive the right ratchet drive wheel 26 by allowing the wrench 60 to make contact with the front reel 14 and the teeth 27 of the wheel 26, and to permit freely rotating the wrench 60 and front reel 14, without blocking rotation of the wrench. In embodiments where the annular notch 16 is in a different location, a different ratchet drive shape should be used. For example, the narrowed engagement member 22 may be on the left side of the ratchet buckle to allow wrenching from that side. Alternatively, there may be no narrowed engagement member and the front reel may be ratcheted from within the opposing side-walls 17, 21 of the ratchet frame 11.

The ratchet drive plate 18 may include rivets 73. The rivets 73 protrude from the top of the drive plate 18, causing an increased thickness at the area of the rivets 73. The slits 38, 39 therefore preferably include small widened portions 75, 77, which allows the rivets 73 to pass through the slits 38, 39. Preferably the rivets 73 are approximately 3/16″ in diameter and the widened portions 75, 77 are slightly larger, to accommodate the rivets 73.

A ratchet spring 32 is preferably disposed around the spring attachment member 34 and against a spring retention nub 36 attached to a cross-plate 19. The spring retention nub 36 defines a spring retention hole 37 through which the spring attachment member 34 may pass. The spring 32 biases the ratchet drive plate 18 towards the front reel 14, thereby engaging the left and right wheel engagement members 20 and 22 with the teeth 27 of the left and right wheels 23 and 26.

A cross plate 19 is disposed at the bottom of the ratchet buckle frame 11. Preferably, the thickness of the cross-plate 19 is approximately ⅛″, the width is approximately 2.25″ and the length is approximately 2″. The cross-plate 19 is disposed at the bottom of the ratchet buckle frame 11 and is approximately rectangular in shape. At the front edge of the cross-plate 19 is preferably a roughly trapezoidal ridge jutting forward which measures approximately 1.625″ in length. Towards the rear of the frame 11, the outline of the cross-plate 19 is roughly straight at the area of the plate 19 towards the side-walls 17, 21 of the frame 11, and curves in towards a spring retention nub 36 which defines a spring retention hole 37. Preferably, the spring retention nub 36 extends approximately ⅝″ towards the top of the buckle and is approximately ⅝″ in width. The spring retention hole is preferably approximately ⅜″ in diameter.

The cross-plate 19 additionally defines a wrench engagement hole 24, which can be used in conjunction with a wrench 60 to disengage the ratchet drive plate 18 from the wheels 23 and 26. The wrench engagement hole 24 is located towards the front part of the cross-plate 19 and is positioned to correspond to the indent 77 in the front edge 44 of the ratchet drive plate 18, to allow engagement and levering by a lever or wrench 60. The wrench engagement hole 24 is preferably approximately ⅜″ in diameter.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the wrench 60 preferably comprises a shaft 63 connecting a wrenching end or wrenching head 64 with a release end 61. A conical release protrusion 62 may be located at the release end 61, which may be used to disengage the ratchet drive plate 18 from the wheels 23 and 26. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, an alternative release protrusion 62′ may be cylindrical rather than conical. The shaft 63 of the wrench 60 is preferably approximately ¾″ in width, approximately ⅜″ in depth, and approximately 8.25″ in length. Further, it is preferably made of a hollow rectangular metal material, the metal having a thickness of approximately 1/16″. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the wrench 60 may have a manual gripping structure 65 disposed around the wrench, for providing optimal gripping function to a user.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5 which is a close-up view of the wrenching end 64 of the wrench 60. The wrench head section 64 has a semi-circular wrench opening 74 set into the front end of the wrench head 64. The reel engagement surface 76 of the wrench opening 74 preferably comprise two parallel substantially straight sections measuring approximately ⅜″ in length, connected to a semi-circular section having a diameter of approximately ⅞″. The wrench opening surface is intended for engagement with the annular notch 16 of the front reel 14 of the ratchet buckle 10.

An elongated tooth engagement member 68 is set into the wrench head section 64. Preferably, the tooth engagement member 68 is positioned such that the leading short edge 66 of the tooth engagement member 68 is set back from by about ⅜″, and corresponds roughly to, the closest part of the reel engagement surface 76 of the wrench opening 74. Preferably, the member 68 has a rounded corner 71 for slipping over ratchet teeth and a straight corner 72 for engaging ratchet teeth, thereby facilitating a ratcheting action. The member 68 is preferably approximately ½″ in length, approximately ¼″ in height and approximately 3/16″ in width.

A spring 70 biases the tooth engagement member 68 towards the wrenching end 64, in order to provide secure engagement of the member 68 with the teeth 27 of a wheel 23, 26. The spring 70 and member 68 are preferably disposed within a cut-out 78 in the wrench head, the cut-out 78 measuring approximately ⅞″ in length and approximately 3/16″ in width. The wrench head 64 may be of a different width than the shaft 63. Preferably the wrench head 64 has a smaller width than the shaft 63. Preferably this width variation is facilitated by cutting out the walls of the shaft 63 at the wrench head 64, compressing the floor and ceiling of the shaft to a desired width, forming new walls with plies of metal (such as aluminum or steel), and fastening the plies of metal together. Preferably, 2 plies of metal are used.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 16 and 17, depicting an alternate embodiment of a wrench with alternate wrenching end 64′. The alternate wrenching end 64′ has two movable gripping portions 50. The gripping portions 50 rotate around gripping portion axles 52 and are preferably L-shaped. The gripping portions preferably have reel holding ends 54 and nub receiving ends 56. The gripping portions 50 are rotatable between an open position, in which the wrench 60 is ready to engage a front reel 14 of a ratchet buckle 10, and a locked position, in which the wrench 60 is engaged around a front reel 14 of a ratchet buckle 10. The nub receiving ends 56 are shaped to receive preferably rounded spring loaded nubs 58 which serve to hold the gripping portions 50 in a locked position, thereby steadying the wrench 60 during engagement and ratcheting of the ratchet buckle 10. The spring loaded nubs 58 are set back within the wrenching end 64′, against springs 59 which bias the nubs 58 towards the nub receiving ends 56 of the gripping portions 50. Upon engagement of the wrenching end 64′ with the front reel 14, the front reel 14 pushes the two movable gripping portions 50 inwards. The spring loaded nubs 58 hold the nub receiving ends 56 of the gripping portions 50 in place, thereby locking the gripping portions 50 around the front reel 14. In a preferred embodiment, both the nub receiving ends 56 and the spring loaded nubs 58 are approximately semi-circular in shape, but any shape which provides a sturdy temporary lock may be used.

Preferably, the gripping portion axles 52 are situated in such a way as to allow rotation of the gripping portions 50 inwards into a locked position, but to prevent rotation of the gripping portions 50 past a certain degree either inward or outward.

Referring now back to FIG. 4, the release end 61 of the wrench 60 will now be described in more detail. Preferably the release end 61 is approximately 1″ in length. The release end is approximately 7/16″ in diameter towards the shaft 63 and tapers slightly to about a diameter of approximately ¼″. The end of the release end 61 is preferably circular and flat. The release end 61 preferably is manufactured from a separate piece of metal, inserted into the hollow shaft and welded or affixed to the shaft through an appropriate method.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 6A-6E, and FIG. 8, which show a method of utilizing the ratchet buckle 10 and wrench 60 to secure a cargo strap 80. As one purpose of tightening cargo straps with this buckle is to secure cargo, a cargo strap 80 may optionally be secured to a surface and wrapped around or otherwise secured to a cargo package. Preferably, in step 102, prior to installation of the strap 80 into the ratchet buckle 10, the front reel 14 of the ratchet buckle 10 is rotated such that the slot 15 in the front reel 14 is easily accessible to the cargo strap 80.

In a preferred embodiment, the right wheel 26 is ratcheted clockwise, as viewed from the right side of the ratchet buckle 10. Therefore, to quickly secure the cargo strap 80, the slot 15 of the front reel 14 should be pointed upwards and slightly towards the rear of the buckle 10. In this position, the cargo strap 80 should be inserted from the bottom of the ratchet buckle 10. This allows for the best tradeoff between easy insertion of the cargo strap 80 into the slot 15 in the front reel 14 and quickest time to when the strap 80 is securely wrapped under itself around the front reel 14.

Rotation of the front reel 14 for this initial set-up can be accomplished by either ratcheting the front reel 14 with the wrench 60 as described below with respect to FIGS. 6D-6E, or by using the conical end 61 to disengage the ratchet drive plate 18 from the teeth 27 of the wheels 23, 26 and then rotating the front reel 14 by hand. As shown in FIGS. 6A-6B, in step 104, a strap is placed through the slot 15 in the front reel 14. The strap should be placed all the way through the slot to ensure secure fastening while ratcheting the ratchet buckle, but should not be placed too far into the slot such that ratcheting is hindered.

As shown in FIG. 6C, in step 106, the reel engagement surface 76 of a wrench 60 is engaged with the annular groove or notch 16 of the front reel 14. This must be done such that the tooth engagement member 68 of the wrench 60 is able to engage the teeth 27 of the ratchet wheels 23, 26. For example, in the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the tooth engagement member 68 must be pointed inwards, towards the right wheel 26, as the annular groove 16 in the front reel 14 is disposed outwards from the teeth 27 of the right wheel 26. In order to facilitate ratcheting, the flat side of the tooth engagement member 68 must be against the flat side of one of the teeth 27 of a ratchet wheel 23, 26.

As shown in FIGS. 6D and 6E, in step 108, the wrench 60 is torqued or rotated towards the front side of the ratchet buckle, thereby rotating the front reel 14, and is then brought back towards the rear reel 12. Preferably the cargo strap 80 is pulled taught away from the cargo buckle 10 to ensure tight wrapping of the strap 80 around the front reel 14.

Each time the wrench tightens the front reel 14, it must be brought back such that the tooth engagement member 68 slides over the teeth 27 of the ratchet wheel 23, 26 and engages a new tooth 27. This ratcheting motion is repeated until the cargo strap 80 is tightened to a desired tightness.

For releasing the cargo strap 80, reference is now made to FIGS. 7A-7D and FIG. 9. In step 120, the conical portion 62 of the release end 61 of the wrench 60 is inserted between the front reel 14 and the ratchet drive plate 18, and into the wrench engagement hole 24 in the cross plate 19. A substantially firm grip should be established such that the conical release end 61 does not slip out of the wrench engagement hole 24. In step 122, the wrench 60 is levered against the ratchet drive plate 18, as shown in FIG. 7B, thereby disengaging the plate 18 from the teeth 27 on the wheels 23 and 26. As shown in FIGS. 7C-7D, in step 124, while holding the ratchet drive plate away from the ratchet wheels, the cargo strap 80 is pulled outward from the buckle 10, as shown in FIGS. 7C-7D.

Referring now to FIG. 13, a prior art shipping assembly and a shipping assembly 200 for the cargo ratchet 10 can be seen and described. As can be seen, the prior art shipping assembly requires much more space than the ratchet buckle 10 which is the subject of this disclosure, due to the inclusion of a bulky handle in the prior art.

Referring now to FIG. 14, the shipping assembly 200 for the cargo ratchet 10 will be described in more detail. The shipping assembly 200 generally comprises the cargo ratchet 10, a cargo strap 80 with a hook 202 attached, and a rear reel strap 204 with rear reel hook 206 attached to the rear reel 12. The rear reel strap 204 and cargo strap 80 are both wrapped around the cargo ratchet 10 and tied in place with a tie 208.

Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that numerous configurations and modifications are possible in light of the above disclosure. For example, the strap may be attached to the buckle with hooks or other means. Further, the positioning of the notch allowing for engagement by a wrench may be located in various places on the front reel or other attached parts. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the invention. 

1. A ratchet buckle comprising: a ratchet buckle frame with a front side and a rear side, a top side and a bottom side, a left opposing sidewall and a right opposing sidewall, said left opposing sidewall defining a left ratchet drive plate slit and said right opposing sidewall defining a right ratchet drive plate slit, each opposing sidewall having a front and rear side; a front reel at said front side of said ratchet buckle frame, said front reel having a cargo strap slot; a left and right ratchet drive wheel, each having teeth and each being situated around the front reel; and a ratchet drive plate with left and right wheel engagement members, wherein said left and right wheel engagement members are disposed through the left and right ratchet drive plate slits, respectively, such that the wheel engagement members may engage the teeth of the ratchet drive wheels; wherein the ratchet drive plate is biased towards the ratchet drive wheels; and wherein the right wheel engagement member has a right edge and the right ratchet drive wheel has a right face, and the right edge of the right ratchet drive wheel and the right edge of the right wheel engagement member are substantially aligned, thereby providing a substantially even and continuous surface.
 2. The ratchet buckle of claim 1, wherein: the front reel has a central portion between the left and right opposing sidewalls of the ratchet buckle frame, a left portion to the left of the left opposing sidewall, and a right portion to the right of the right opposing sidewall; the right portion of the front reel defines an annular groove, thereby allowing engagement by a wrench.
 3. The ratchet buckle of claim 2, further comprising: a cross plate affixed to the bottom side of said ratchet buckle frame.
 4. The ratchet buckle of claim 3, wherein: the cross plate defines a wrench engagement hole substantially aligned with a curved notch in the ratchet drive plate.
 5. The ratchet buckle of claim 4, further comprising: a spring retention nub defining a spring retention hole, wherein said nub protrudes perpendicular to said cross plate and towards the top of said ratchet buckle.
 6. The ratchet buckle of claim 5, further comprising: a spring attachment member extending from the rear side of the ratchet drive plate, and aligned with said spring retention hole.
 7. The ratchet buckle of claim 6, further comprising: a spring disposed around the spring attachment member and against the spring retention nub, biasing the ratchet drive plate towards the ratchet wheels.
 8. The ratchet buckle of claim 7, wherein: the left portion of the front reel defines a left reel retainer hole extending axially through the reel and the right portion of the front reel defines a right threaded reel retainer hole extending axially through the reel; a reel retainer fastener is disposed through the left reel retainer hole; a threaded retainer fastener is disposed through the right threaded reel retainer hole; the left ratchet wheel is located between the left reel retainer pin and the left opposing sidewall of the ratchet frame; and the right ratchet wheel is located between the right threaded reel retainer pin and the right opposing sidewall of the ratchet frame.
 9. The ratchet buckle of claim 1, further comprising: a rear reel at said rear side of said ratchet buckle frame.
 10. A ratchet buckle, comprising: a frame having a top side and a bottom side, left and right opposing sidewalls and a front end, each of said left and right opposing sidewalls defining a ratchet drive plate slit; a front reel disposed at the front end; a ratchet drive plate having a front side, a rear side, and a right edge, wherein said ratchet drive plate is disposed through said slits in said left and right opposing sidewalls; left and right ratchet wheels disposed on said front reel, said left and right wheels engaged with said ratchet drive plate, and said right wheel having a right face; a ratchet wrench comprising: a shaft with a wrenching end and a release end, a length and a width; a wrenching head at said wrenching end; a release protrusion at said release end; and a spring loaded tooth engagement member extending from and perpendicular to the shaft, wherein said spring loaded member is located at the wrenching end and is near the grasping head; wherein said right edge of said ratchet drive plate is substantially aligned with the right face of the right wheel, thereby providing a flush surface to allow operation of an engaged wrench.
 11. The ratchet buckle of claim 10, wherein: the front reel has a central portion between the left and right opposing sidewalls of the ratchet buckle frame, a left portion to the left of the left opposing sidewall, and a right portion to the right of the right opposing sidewall; the front reel defines an annular groove, thereby allowing engagement by a wrench.
 12. The ratchet buckle of claim 11, further comprising: a cross plate affixed to the bottom side of said ratchet buckle frame.
 13. The ratchet buckle of claim 12, wherein: the cross plate defines a wrench engagement hole substantially aligned with a curved notch in the ratchet drive plate.
 14. The ratchet buckle of claim 13, further comprising: a spring retention nub defining a spring retention hole, wherein said nub protrudes perpendicular to said cross plate, extending towards the top of said ratchet buckle.
 15. The ratchet buckle of claim 14, further comprising: a spring attachment member extending from the rear side of the ratchet drive plate, and aligned with said spring retention hole; and a spring disposed around the spring attachment member and against the spring retention nub, biasing the ratchet drive plate towards the ratchet wheels.
 16. The ratchet buckle of claim 15, further comprising: a pair of L-shaped reel gripping portions disposed at the wrenching head for locking around the front reel; a pair of spring loaded nubs set into the wrenching head, said nubs biased towards the gripping portions, said spring loaded nubs capable of releasably retaining the pair of L-shaped reel gripping portions in a locked position.
 17. The ratchet buckle of claim 16, wherein: the left portion of the front reel defines a left reel retainer hole extending axially through the reel and the right portion of the front reel defines a right threaded reel retainer hole extending axially through the reel; a reel retainer fastener is disposed through the left reel retainer hole; a threaded retainer fastener is disposed through the right threaded reel retainer hole; the left ratchet wheel is located between the left reel retainer pin and the left opposing sidewall of the ratchet frame; and the right ratchet wheel is located between the right threaded reel retainer pin and the right opposing sidewall of the ratchet frame.
 18. A method of operating a cargo buckle, comprising: providing a securing strap; providing a ratchet buckle and wrench combination comprising: a frame having left and right opposing sidewalls and having a front end, each of said left and right opposing sidewalls defining a ratchet drive plate slit; a front reel disposed at the front end, said front reel having an annular groove; a ratchet drive plate having a right edge, wherein said ratchet drive plate is disposed through said slits in said left and right opposing sidewalls; left and right ratchet wheels disposed on said front reel, said left and right wheels engaged with said ratchet drive plate, and said right wheel having a right face; a shaft with a wrenching end and a release end, a length and a width; a wrenching head at said wrenching end; a conical release protrusion at said release end; and a spring loaded tooth engagement member extending from and perpendicular to the shaft, wherein said spring loaded member is located at the wrenching end and is near the grasping head; wherein said right edge of said ratchet drive plate is substantially aligned with the right face of the right wheel, thereby providing a flush surface to allow operation of an engaged wrench; sliding the strap through said slit in said front reel; engaging said wrench with said annular depression such that said spring loaded member engages a tooth on one of the ratchet wheels; driving said wrench to rotate said front wheel, thereby drawing the strap towards the buckle.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: repeatedly torquing said wrench until the strap reaches a desired tightness.
 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: inserting the release protrusion of the wrench into a wrench engagement hole in a cross plate; rotating the wrench to force the ratchet drive plate to disengage from the ratchet wheels; and unwinding the strap is removed from the buckle. 